Love Advice
by tinylexie
Summary: Both Snape and Lucius give Draco advice on what he should do about his true feelings for Hermione. Now includes a chapter from Draco's point-of-view, as requested by Jelliekins.
1. Don't Push Her Away

**Author's Note****: This is a little drabble from Snape's point-of-view. He is trying to get Draco to not make the same mistakes with Hermione that he did with Lily. I really hope that Snape isn't too OCC, but let's not forget that he does have a heart and that he is capable of great love (he just chooses to not show that side of himself that often).**

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><p>I know how you really feel about her. You are always insulting her blood, and you are always complaining about how the other professors favor her over you. But I can see the truth, the truth that you try so hard to deny. I know that you love her.<p>

You keep company with the likes of Crabbe and Goyle. They may be Purebloods like yourself, but we both know that they are idiots. And while that Parkinson girl is not a complete idiot, she is nowhere near _her_ level of brilliance.

She often annoys me with her know-it-all attitude, I will admit, but I will also admit that she is clever and resourceful. She knows the textbooks by heart, but she can also make _practical_ use of the words that she reads.

You are like your parents. You all value blood purity so much, but all of you value intelligence even more. None of you will ever admit it, of course, but I know that it's the truth.

She is your equal in more ways than one. For all of her nobility and all of her loyalty to her friends, she can also be vindictive and cunning. She will not hesitate to strike, be it physically or verbally, someone who has wronged her.

She does not back down from what she believes in, and she will annoy you on purpose if that is what it takes to defend herself.

You both have wits, and I know that you enjoy your verbal battles with each other. You just will never admit it. But I know the truth.

I know that you know all this about her. You have mentioned many of these things during your rants to me.

Stop denying your love for her. Stop pushing her away. I know that it will be hard for you to go against what you have been taught. I know that it will be difficult for you to go against tradition. But I'm telling you to do it. I'm telling you to fight for what you truly believe in.

Tell her how you really feel about her before it's too late, before you lose her for good.

Don't push her away, or you will find yourself unable to pull her back in.

And then you will spend the rest of your life filled with nothing but regret and misery, while _she_ will be smiling happily in the arms of another man.


	2. She's Not For You

**Author's Note****: This drabble is from Lucius's point-of-view. He is trying to keep Draco from pursuing a relationship with Hermione.**

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><p>I know how you really feel about that girl. You are always complaining about how the professors give her better grades than they give you. But I can read in between the words that you speak. I know that you are only complaining about her because you have feelings for her, and you don't want to admit those feelings to me or to anyone else for that matter.<p>

I know that you are afraid I will judge her because of her blood status. I know that you afraid of not having my approval. I know that you afraid that I might disown. And all that would happen to you because of _her_.

But none of that is the real truth. Do I want her mixing with your blood? I would prefer for that never to happen, I will admit, but I will also admit that I care more about you than anything else in the world, with the exception of your mother, of course. I know that I don't always show that to you, but you are more to me than just my son and heir. I truly want what is best for you. And if that girl is what it takes to make you happy, then I would accept it. I wouldn't like it, of course, but I would accept it for your sake.

But my true problem with the girl is that I know she will one day break your heart. There is no way that she could ever feel as strongly for you as you feel for her.

Her beliefs are the complete opposite from your own. Her life has been nothing like yours. You two are just too _different_.

Would she be willing to give up her friends for you? Or would they also be willing to turn their belief systems upside down for you, so that she wouldn't have to give them up but still be able to keep you? I seriously doubt that. They are as set in their ways as you are. It just will never happen.

From what you have told me, the girl is clearly loyal to her friends. She would not want to hurt them. Being with you would hurt them because they would _never_ be able to accept that you and her are together as one. They see you as evil, as the son of a monster. You have _no_ future with any of them. Including her.

She's not for you. Find yourself another girl, a better girl, to make you happy. The Pureblood girls will accept you for who you are. But not _her_. She would want you to change your ways. She would want you to go against your family, your society, and your culture. She would want you to change _everything_ about yourself and about your way of life just to please her.

But would she also be willing to change who she is? Would she be willing to change herself and _her_ way of life just to please you? I seriously doubt that.

Is it not clear yet that she's _not_ for you?


	3. Don't Deserve Her

**Author's Note****: This is for Jelliekins, who requested a chapter from I's point-of-view. Most of the dialogue is from **_**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows**_**, Chapter 23, "Malfoy Manor." There is also a piece of dialogue from **_**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows**_**, Chapter 36, "The Flaw in the Plan."**

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><p>I knew it was Granger the moment the light fell on her.<p>

"'Wait,'" I heard my mother speak sharply. "'Yes—yes, she was in Madam Malkin's with Potter! I saw her picture in the _Prophet_! Look, Draco, isn't it the Granger girl?'"

I already had struggled not to reveal Potter with absolute certainty to my father. But with Granger, it was even worse. Something happening to Potter would not bother me nearly as much as something happening to Granger.

Narcissa gave me a hard glare. It was her "I mean business" and "You better answer me" glare.

"'I…maybe…yeah.'" I finally said, feeling ashamed of both my weakness and my cowardliness. How could I just give up the woman that I claimed to love, even if it was a claim I would only make to myself?

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><p>Then, Aunt Bellatrix came into the room. I felt something in my stomach drop even further down.<p>

I watched as Bellatrix stared at Granger.

"'But surely,'" Bellatrix spoke, "'This is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?'"

"'Yes, yes, it's Granger!'" I then heard my father cry.

Everyone was against Granger.

I tried to make myself say something. I wanted to say, "You're all wrong! That's not Granger!" Or perhaps I wanted to say, "Yeah, that's Granger, but none of you are going to do anything to her! I won't let any of you hurt her! You will have to go through me first!"

I, however, said nothing. I was such a coward.

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><p>I watched as my mother ordered the werewolf to take all the prisoners down to the cellar.<p>

All of the prisoners except for Granger.

"'No!'" the Weasel shouted. "'You can have me, keep me!'"

At that moment, I hated the Weasel more than I had ever hated him before. I hated that the Weasel was brave enough to actually speak on Granger's behalf, even if it was useless. I hated that the Weasel was brave enough to actually admit out loud that he cared more about Granger's well-being than his own.

Bellatrix hit the Weasel across the face for his troubles.

"'If she dies under questioning,'" she said, "'I'll take you next.'"

_If she dies._

No, she couldn't die.

Still, though, I did not speak. I just stood there. I really was a pathetic coward.

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><p>It did not take Bellatrix long to make Granger start screaming.<p>

"Stop it!" I wanted to shout at my aunt. "If you don't stop hurting her, I'll hurt you!"

I, however, did not say any of these things. Instead, I remained completely silent. My only reaction was to wince at Granger's screams.

I felt both of my parents looking at me. There was sympathy on their faces, but there was also a look on their faces that clearly said, "Don't say anything. Don't draw attention to yourself. Just let Bellatrix do what she wants to the Mudblood. She's not worth you getting hurt over."

But even though I believed that Granger was worth getting hurt over, I listened to my parents' silent pleas. It was bad enough that I had hurt Granger by not coming to her defense. I didn't want to make things even worse by hurting my parents as well, even if hurting them would have meant saving Granger.

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><p>"'HERMIONE! HERMIONE!'" the Weasel screamed repeatedly in clear desperation.<p>

I noticed my father roll my eyes slightly at the Weasel's screams. My father probably wanted to say that the Weasel was stupid for giving away Granger's name and for confirming that it was indeed her.

But I still envied the Weasel for having the courage to admit my feelings for Granger out loud. I really hated myself for being such a coward.

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><p>I remembered all the times both of my parents had told me that I was better than everyone else, especially Mudbloods. I remembered all the times that I had complained to my parents about Granger doing better in school.<p>

My mother had told me, "Don't worry about it, sweetie. You're still better than her."

My father had told me, "Try harder next year. You're smart. Now show that Granger girl how smart you are. Don't let her think that she's better than you, because she's not. You're a Pureblood, I. You are superior to her. Make sure she knows that, and make sure she always remembers that."

I now knew that both of my parents had been wrong. I didn't deserve Granger. I was a Pureblood and she was a Mudblood, but _I_ was the one that was not worthy.

There was no way that I could ever look into Granger's face and tell her, "I love you. I have always loved you. That's why I was always so mean to you. I didn't want you knowing my true feelings. I'm so sorry about that. Please forgive me."

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><p>I listened on from the safety of my parents' embrace as Potter spoke to the Dark Lord in the Great Hall.<p>

"'Severus Snape wasn't yours,'" Potter said. "'Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother.'"

I continued to listen in absolute shock. Snape had been in love with Potter's mother?

I looked up at my parents. To my surprise, they did not seem at all shocked by this news. It was almost as if they had already known that Snape had always loved Lily Potter.

And Snape had loved her so much that he had been willing to put his life at risk over and over again just to protect her son.

And in the end, Snape had died for Lily Potter and for her son.

I, however, had not been willing to do the same for Hermione Granger. I had not been willing to take any risks for her sake.

There was no way that I could ever ask Granger to sacrifice everything, her way of life and possibly her friends, just to be with me. How could I, when I had not been willing to sacrifice anything to be with her? It would not be fair to Granger.

It didn't matter that I had feelings for Granger. I didn't deserve her. I had not fought for her as Snape had fought for Lily Potter.


End file.
